Meet the 2026 CAAP Summit Keynote Speaker: Smiley Poswolsky
In a time of rapid change, strong culture matters more than ever.
AI and other new technologies are changing how work gets done. Across human services, that is raising important questions about efficiency, culture, and connection.
Even as new tools emerge, the need for trust, belonging, and human-centered leadership remains the same.
That’s where Smiley Poswolsky comes in.
Smiley is a nationally recognized workplace culture expert and bestselling author. He helps organizations build strong workplaces. He wants people to feel seen, heard, and valued. His work focuses on belonging, engagement, and human connection. These ideas help teams grow stronger. They also help people serve others well.
In this moment, that message resonates deeply.
A Keynote Rooted in Connection
At the 2026 CAAP Summit, Smiley will explore a defining challenge for today’s leaders:
How do we embrace powerful new tools while keeping human connection at the center of our work?
Smiley’s keynote will be practical and energizing. He will show how to build belonging, trust, and engagement at work. He will share real examples, helpful data, and clear strategies. Leaders and staff can use these ideas right away. His message will help teams support one another and better serve their communities.
This inspiring message will help:
Build stronger teams.
Deepen relationships.
Drive greater impact.
[Image Description: Text that reads “How do we embrace powerful new tools while keeping Human Connection at the center of our work?”]
Why This Conversation Matters
The 2026 CAAP Summit is centered on Efficiency with Empathy: Where Innovation Meets Humanity — a theme grounded in the belief that new tools should strengthen, not replace, the human side of the work.
Smiley’s keynote brings that idea to life.
His message reminds us that belonging is not a bonus feature of healthy organizations. It is part of what makes them effective, sustainable, and resilient. When people feel connected to their work and to one another, they contribute differently. They lead differently. They serve differently.
Human connection matters in every field.
And it is especially important in Community Action's work.
[Image Description: The 2026 CAAP Summit Logo “Efficiency with Empathy, where innovation meets humanity.]
Join Us
📅 May 20
🕥 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Smiley’s keynote will help set the tone for a Summit focused on thoughtful leadership, practical learning, and the opportunity in front of us.